Ohio State Buckeyes two wins away from a perfect season

ASSOCIATED PRESS
With the emergence of first-year head coach Urban Meyer and stellar play from sophomore quarterback Braxton Miller, the Buckeyes are a Wisconsin and Michigan win away from capping off a perfect 12-0 season.

COLUMBUS -- Ohio State has a share of the Leaders Division title in the Big Ten.

The sixth-ranked Buckeyes aren't satisfied with that.

They want the whole enchilada.

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Because of Nebraska's 62-14 win over Penn State last Saturday, Ohio State (10-0, 6-0) clinched at least a share of the division title. But because of NCAA sanctions, OSU is not eligible for the Big Ten Championship Game.

Wisconsin, on the other hand, is. And with its victory over Indiana last Saturday, the Badgers (7-3, 4-2) punched their ticket to the league title game against the yet-to-be-determined winner of the Legends Division.

Ohio State would like nothing more than for the Badgers to play in that game on Dec. 1 in Indianapolis knowing they aren't the best team in the Big Ten.

An Ohio State victory this coming Saturday at Camp Randall Stadium would assure that.

"At the end of the season, we want everybody to look at us as the best team in the Big Ten," receiver Corey "Philly" Brown said. "AS of right now, we are the best team in the Big Ten. A win this week gives us another big road win ...There would be no question who is the best team."

Ohio State is coming off a bye week and is headed into the biggest part of the schedule with a road game at Wisconsin and a home date against rival Michigan two days after Thanksgiving.

While there is at least a share of a divisional title in Ohio State's season, there is no conference championship game nor a bowl bid.

There is a quest for perfection, though.

"We need to be 12-0," senior linebacker/fullback Zach Boren said. "We're not thinking about injuries. We're not thinking about polls. We're not thinking about 'We have nothing after the Team-From-Up-North game.'

"We're thinking we have the two biggest games of the season coming up."

Earlier in the season, Coach Urban Meyer said he might use polls not playing in a bowl game as motivation for his team, if warranted. If the Buckeyes needed a motivational kick in the shorts, the possibility of winning a national championship in the Associated Press poll or playing each game as an individual bowl game might be used.

Meyer said on Monday he hasn't had to do that. He said Monday morning's practice was "excellent" and no motivation was or is needed.

"We've had zero discussion about it," Meyer said.

If anything, the current OSU players are showing their new coaching staff -- with the exception of 2011 holdovers Luke Fickell and Mike Vrabel -- how much they mean business against Wisconsin.

Recent history has a lot to do with that. The last time Ohio State visited raucous Camp Randall Stadium, the Badgers knocked off then-No. 1 OSU, 31-18. The Buckeyes returned the favor, 33-29, last season in the 'Shoe.

"I'm learning about it," Meyer said of the OSU-Wisconsin rivalry. "I think they stole a season (in 2010). They were telling me that story a little bit. But it's interesting hearing our players talk about it, especially ones that I listen to, guys that have been in some of those big games."

Meyer was pleased with what he saw from his team on Monday morning during a physical, full-pads practice. He said he sensed the OSU players came off the bye week "rejuvenated."

The focus is squarely on Wisconsin, with an eye on doing what the team set out to do from Day 1.